The Enduring Appeal of Carnival Doughnuts: A Taste of Tradition

A plate of still-warm Carnival doughnuts, smelling of butter, lemon, and orange blossom… can you imagine the scene? With Laurent Mariotte’s recipe, these golden bugnes are no longer reserved for pastry chefs. You can prepare them at home, without stress, for Mardi Gras or for a Sunday snack.

Why is Laurent Mariotte’s Recipe So Popular?

This Carnival doughnut recipe has a lot to offer: few ingredients, a reasonable cost, and, above all, an easy dough to function with. It doesn’t require a complicated mixer. Your hands, a salad bowl, a rolling pin, and a little patience in the fridge are enough. The result? Light doughnuts, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a scent that evokes memories of snacks at your grandparents’ house.

The Ingredients for Laurent Mariotte’s Carnival Doughnuts

For approximately 50 beignets (serving 8 people), you will need:

• 100g soft butter at room temperature
• ½ untreated lemon (finely grated zest)
• 250g wheat flour
• 1 pinch of powdered sugar
• ¼ sachet of baking powder (about 3 to 4g)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of orange blossom
• Icing sugar for finishing
• 1 liter of sunflower oil for frying

You may already have almost everything in your cupboards.

Step-by-Step: Preparing the Doughnuts

Step 1: Prepare a Soft and Fragrant Dough

This is where everything begins. A well-made dough means doughnuts that swell, don’t absorb too much oil, and remain pleasant to eat. First, take the butter out of the refrigerator in advance. It should be very soft, almost creamy. Very finely grate the zest of the half lemon, avoiding the white part which can cause bitterness, and set it aside.

In a large salad bowl, combine the 250g flour, a pinch of sugar, and a quarter of a sachet of baking powder. Mix with a spoon or whisk to distribute the baking powder evenly. Then, add the eggs one by one, incorporating each one fully before adding the next. Add the soft butter, lemon zest, and teaspoon of orange blossom.

Work the dough with your fingertips until it becomes homogeneous, flexible, and non-sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a very small amount of flour, but do so gradually to avoid hardening the dough.

Step 2: Cool Rest – The Secret to Successful Bugnes

This step is often skipped, but it makes all the difference. Resting the dough in the cold allows it to relax and absorb the flavors. Form a nice ball of dough, place it in the salad bowl, cover with cling film or a clean tea towel, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Ideally, let it rest overnight. The next day, the dough will be firmer, easier to spread, and the doughnuts will have better texture, and taste. You can prepare the dough the day before Mardi Gras.

Step 3: Shape the Carnival Doughnuts

Now for the fun part! This is also a perfect step to do with children. Lightly flour your work surface. Place the ball of dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. Spread the dough very thinly – a thin dough produces light and crispy doughnuts.

With a fluted pastry wheel or a knife, cut rectangles of approximately 10 x 5 cm. In the center of each rectangle, make an incision of approximately 3 cm. Take one end of the rectangle and pass it through the central slot to create a knot, typical of Carnival doughnuts. Repeat until the dough is used up.

Step 4: Stress-Free Frying

Frying can be intimidating, but with a few simple gestures, everything goes well, without a strong smell and without greasy doughnuts. Pour 1 liter of sunflower oil into a deep fryer or large saucepan. Heat to approximately 180°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, dip a small piece of dough into the oil; if it rises quickly, making small bubbles, the oil is at the right temperature.

Dip the doughnuts into the oil in small quantities, avoiding overcrowding the pan. The doughnuts will rise to the surface and turn golden blonde in a few minutes. Turn them over if necessary with a slotted spoon. As soon as they are golden, remove them and place them on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

Finishing and Serving: The Magic of Icing Sugar

When the doughnuts are still warm but not hot, sprinkle them generously with icing sugar. This sticks better to slightly warm dough. Serve them cold or at room temperature with coffee, hot chocolate, or a glass of milk.

Laurent Mariotte’s Tips for Varying the Flavors

Laurent Mariotte suggests replacing the icing sugar with a red fruit coulis (strawberries, raspberries, currants) or an exotic fruit coulis (mango, passion fruit, pineapple) for a creative dessert. You can also add a little vanilla to the dough, grate more lemon or orange zest, or sprinkle a mixture of sugar and cinnamon instead of icing sugar.

How to Organize for a Stress-Free Mardi Gras

To enjoy your guests, prepare ahead. This recipe lends itself well to it. You can prepare the dough the day before and let it sit overnight. On the big day, all that remains is to spread it out, shape the doughnuts, and fry them. You can even form the doughnuts in advance and keep them cool on a floured baking sheet covered with a cloth. Serve the doughnuts the same day for the best freshness. If there are leftovers, store them in a metal box to maintain some of their crunch.

With Laurent Mariotte’s recipe, Carnival doughnuts are no longer reserved for the pros. A simple dough, a cool rest, well-controlled frying, and you obtain golden, fragrant, and light bugnes. It’s time to take out the salad bowl, flour the work surface, and let the smell of homemade doughnuts fill your kitchen.